Illuminated signs



155.7; 1958 M. c. LATIMER 8, 6

ILLUMINATED SIGNS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5. 1955 47 42 3maentor Maurice C. Zatfmer 43 attorney Jan. 7, I958 M. c. LATIMER 2,818,667

ILLUMINATED SIGNS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1955' attorney ELLUMlNATED SIGNS Maurice C. Latimer, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application Gctoner 5, 1955, Serial No. 533,688 2 Claims. (Cl. ill-fill) This invention relates to illuminated circular signs and fxtures and particularly to the type wherein an annular or ring-like fluorescent lamp directs light through the edge of thedevice.

The invention contemplates the provision of a lighting fixture, sign or clock support adapted to stand on a table, to be hung from a ceiling or attached to a wall, for housing an annular fluorescent electric lamp of the type known as Circline lamps, the device also supporting a circular translucent sign member or clock in the central opening of the lamp, and optionally supporting as well an outer peripheral translucent edge member, the housing being designed for the quick and easy opening thereof to provide ready access to the lamp, to the sign members and to the electrical parts of the support or fixture.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a simple and economical housing which holds, protects and conceals the annular Circline lamp while adequately supporting the sign or indicating members in position for brilliant edge illumination thereof by the lamp, the housing being easily opened and disassembled for the replacement, repair or cleaning of the parts.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a combined sign support and illuminator provided with an annular lamp housing and a base, the supportresiliently supporting the lamp and having a fixed section and a relatively movable section pivoted to the fixed section and swingable to an open .position to provide access to the circular lamp in the housing as well as to the sign members supported thereby and .to the ballast and electrical connections contained therein.

The various objects of the invention .Will be clear from the description which follows and from the draw ings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a portable form of the illuminated sign showing both an inner sign member and an outer edge member, parts of the lamp housing and base being broken away to show the interior structure.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof partly in verticalsection, .the movable part of the housing and base being shown by dash-dot lines in partly open position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

,Fig. .4 is atfragmentary vertical sectional view of the upper portion of a modified form of the support wherein only an innersign member is employed and the housing sections are separably held together by a screw or the like.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spring clip which holds the edge portion of the circularinuer sign member to the fixed section of the housing.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form of the uppermost part of the housing showing the luminous edge or outer sign member clamped in-place between the movable and fixed sections of the 2,8l8,667 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 2 housing, the sections being separably held together by a spring latch.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale of the base and of the lower part of the housing shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of a modified form of the pivotal connection between the lower portion of the movable section of the housing and the relatively fixed ballast holding portion of the base.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a typical ceiling and wall showing howthe illuminated sign or clock may be supported in the manner of a lighting fixture by a flush outlet box.

In that embodiment of the invention shown by way of example in Figs. 1-3, a suitable combined lamp housing and base is provided for yieldingly supporting and normally concealing the annular fluorescent lamp 10 and for supporting the inner sign member 11 and the outer sign or edge member 12. Said housing comprisesthe fixed section 13 and the relatively movable section 14 having a downwardly projecting base member 15 at the lower end thereof which is pivoted, as by the hinge ,16,,to the ballast casing 17.

The housing sections 13 and 14 are similar to each other, each being preferably pressed of sheetmetal to provide a ring-like main body part having peripheral flanges extending therefrom and each in the formof asegment of a circle subtending less than 360 ,and consequently having spaced apart end edges. The section 14 has an outstanding preferably flat outer edge flange .18 and an inwardly projecting inner edge flange .19 surrounding the central opening 20 therein. The-flanges 18 and 19 are integrally connected by the outwardly convexmiddle portion 21 arranged, when inoperative position,-coaxially.of thelarnp lit) and made preferably, though not necessarily, of substantially semi-circular crossvsection. At its lowermost portion, the section 14 is provided with an integral hollow base member 15 of any desired ornamental form and projecting radially and downwardly and interposed between the end edges of said section. The flanges 18 and 19 and the portion 21 of said section 14 terminate at the side edges of the base member. The section 13, which is complementary to and cooperates with the corresponding section 14, has flanges 18a and 19a similar to the respective flanges 18 and 19 ofthe section :14, and also has the convex connecting portion 21a connecting said flanges 18a and 1%, as wellas the integral hollow base member 15a at the lower ends of the flanges and connecting portion and similar to the base member 15 and cooperating therewith to form a receptacle for the lower portion of the lamp 10. However, thehousingsection 13 is fixed to the upper surface 22 of the hollow ballast casing 17 as by means of the rivets 24 passing-through the horizontal flange ZSaresting on the wall 22.

To .pivotally secure the movable housing section to said wall 22, one leaf as 26of the hinge 16 is suitably secured to the outstanding horizontal-flange 25 at the lower edge of the basemember 15, while the other leaf 28 of said hinge is riveted to the wall 22 with a suitable filler .or gasket therebetween. As shown in Fig. 2, the section 14 may be swung counterclockwise about'the hinge pivot out of its normal position shown in full lines, through the position shown in dash-dot lines, and sufficierrtly to expose most of the interior space between the sections 13 and 14 thereby providing access to the normally concealed interior parts. I

Said concealed parts include the lamp 10, the electrode and terminal holder 30 (Fig. l) for the bottom part of the lamp, and the means for resiliently supporting the lamp in concentric spaced relation to and inside of the housing sections and for supplying current to the lamp.

As shown, the strip spring 31 is secured at one end to the fixed base member 15:: and at its free end engages the terminal holder 30 of the lamp to urge the lamp upwardly and against the combined lamp holder and electric socket 32. Said socket receives current from the ballast 33 which in turn is energized through the plug 34 in a well known manner. The terminals 35 of the lamp are arranged within the receptacle formed by the base members and removably enter the socket 32' to energize the lamp electrodes. At the upper end of the lamp housing is provided the strip spring 36 secured to the section 13 and yieldingly engaging the upper part of the lamp, whereby the lamp is suspended resiliently within the housing and out of contact with the sign members 11 and 12, but in position to direct the light therefrom through the edges of the sign or edge members thereby to illuminate the members and the indicia thereon. A bracket 37 secured to the base member 15a overhangs the terminal member 30 and supports the lamp holder 32, the enlarged head of the holder resting on the top surface of the bracket and the narrower portion of said lamp holder passing through a hole in the bracket into a position around part of the lower portion of the lamp.

The inner sign member 11 is preferably of disc-like flat form of circular outline provided with edge notches and recesses for the passage and reception of suitable spring clips and the passage therethrough of the bracket 37. Said member 11 is preferably made of suitable translucent material such as glass, synthetic plastic known by the trademarks Lucite or Plexiglas or the like, which can be carved by sand blasting or engraved or painted with suitable indicia as 38. If a one way sign is desired, the thickness of the sign member is equal to the full distance between the flanges 13 and 18a of the lamp housing (Figs. 4 and 6) when the housing sections are in the closed positions thereof. In that case, the obverse face of the sign member is concealed in any suitable manner as by an opaque coating or a sheet of thin opaque material. If a two way sign is desired, the sign member is made of two discs or sheets 40, 41 (Fig. 7) arranged back to back and each opaquely coated on the back, and each of half the thickness of the sign member 11.

The sign member of either form is held to the fixed housing section 13 by spring clips 42 (Figs. 1, 4 and of generally L-shaped form. The larger leg 43 of the clip is set flush in a suitable recess 44 extending partway through the thickness of the sign member from the rear face 45 of the member and inwardly from the peripheral edge 46 of said member. The shorter leg 47 of the clip is set flush in a recess in the edge 46 of the member, while the lip 48 enters and is set flush in a recess in the front face 49 of the sign member similar to the recess 44. The rivet 51 passes through the hole 52 in the leg 43 and through the flange 19a and secures the .clip to said flange in position to engage and release the sign member. The bend 50 of the clip is resilient and permits the sign member to be released from the clip on pressure applied in the proper direction to the lip to remove the lip and the leg 47 from the recesses. The flange 19 of the movable housing section rests against the front face of the sign member and conceals the lip 48 and the recess into which it is set.

Where a luminous edge member with or without an illuminated sign part is desired, the relatively narrow outer sign member 12 is also made of translucent material similar to that of the member 11. Said member 12 has flat front and rear faces and is removably held to the outer flanges 18a of the'fixed housing section 13 by suitable fasteners. As shown, (Figs. 1 and 2) each of the fasteners comprises a threaded and headed stud 53 passing through the flange 18a, through a hole in the edge member 12 and into a recess in the front face 54 of the edge member. A wire spring clip 55 in the recess and a lock washer 56 in a similar recess in the rear face 45a 4 of the edge member, engage the shank of the stud and prevent it from becoming loose, while permitting it to be removed to release the edge sign member. The flange 13 covers and conceals the clip.

The movable housing section 14 is normally held in its operative position with its flanges in contact with the respective sign members 11 and 12 by means of a suitable latch. As shown, (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) the spring latch 5'7 made of strip material is secured near one end to the flange 18a and has a bend 58 therein extending over the top of or through the edge member, the latch terminating in an outwardly flared portion 58a adjacent the flange 18. A pin or projection 59 in said portion 58a is urged by the bend 58 into a recess 61} in the member 12, thereby to hold the section 14 in place until the latch is released. While the edge sign member 12 projects beyond the flanges 13 and 18a and is illuminated, a greater visible illuminated area thereof may be obtained by slotting selected areas of either or both of said flanges at suitable intervals as shown at 61, Fig. 6.

In those cases where no edge sign is used, the latch 57 is replaced by a fastening screw 62 (Fig. 4), the flanges 18 and 18a being omitted and replaced by the adjacent edge extensions 63, 64 of the housing portions 21 and 21a, one of the extensions being offset and overlapping the other. Where a more economical pivotal connection between the movable housing section and the base member is desired, the tongue and slot connection shown in Fig. 8 is substituted for the hinge 16. Said connection comprises the downwardly projecting curved tongue 65 on the lower edge of the base member 66 passing through the slot 67 in the upper wall 68 of the ballast casing 17. Additional tongues as 69 are provided at spaced points of said lower edge, the tongues entering corresponding slots in the wall 68. The section 14 may thereby be tilted sufficiently about the tongue 65 to expose the interior parts of the device, the tongues 69 leaving their grooves but the tongue 65 remaining in its groove, as shown by the dash-dot lines of Fig. 8.

As shown in Fig. 9, the legs 70 of the portable device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be omitted and the fixture secured in an obvious manner to the ceiling 71 or the wall 72 of a room by means of a suitable outlet box 73 and connections thereto. Also as shown in Fig. 9, the inner sign member 11 may readily be replaced by a suitable clock 74 having hands 75 and hour markers 76 of plastic or the like set into the portion 21 of the section 14.

It Will now be seen that I 'have provided a simple and economical device by means of which a disc-like sign and edge member may be attractively illuminated by an annular fluorescent lamp, that the device is adapted for manufacture in various ornamental forms, that it may be quickly and easily opened for access to interior normally concealed parts, that such parts are adequately supported and easily assembled and that the various objects of the invention have been eliectively attained.

While certain specific forms of the invention have herein been shown and described, various obvious changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. .An illuminated sign comprising a pair of cooperating annular housing sections shaped to receive therein and therebetween an annular circular fluorescent lamp and normally to conceal said lamp, each of the sections surrounding an inner opening therein, means for fixedly supporting one section, means for pivotally supporting the other section, a sign secured in the opening of and to said one fixed section, means for normally holding the sections together against relative movement, each of the sections having an annular main body portion and a base portion integral with the body portion, the major part of said body portion being substantially semi-circular in cross section and terminating in a flat flange extending inwardly from the inner edge thereof, means for detachably securing the sign of the flange of the fixed section, a circular annular fluorescent lamp between and in coaxial spaced relation to the semi-circular portions of the sections, and springs secured to the fixed section and engaging the lamp for resiliently suspending the lamp within the sections.

2. In a sign adapted for illumination by an annular fluorescent lamp, a lamp housing comprising a fixed annular section and a relatively movable similar annular section, each of the sections having a flange on the inner periphery thereof surrounding an opening therein, the flanges of the sections being arranged in parallel spaced relation, a disc-like sign member in said opening and arranged with the peripheral portion thereof between the flanges, means for detachably securing said peripheral portion to the flange of the fixed section, a base member for the housing comprising a pair of similar hollow par-ts extending substantially radially from the housing sections, one of said parts being secured to the fixed section and the other to said movable section, means for pivotally supporting the movable section for movement toward and away from the fixed section to expose the interior of the housing and the securing means, an annular fluorescent lamp within the housing and outwardly beyond the flange and the sign member, terminals for the lamp within the base member, a lamp holder within the base member, and means carried by the fixed section for resiliently supporting the lamp, the lamp-supporting means comprising a first strip spring secured at one end to and within the base member and having a free end engaging the lower portion of the lamp, and a second strip spring secured to and within the upper portion of the fixed section and engaging the upper portion of the lamp, each of said springs urging the lamp toward the other spring and suspending the lamp within the sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,950,548 Fuller Mar. 13, 1934 1,953,555 Frey et a1. Apr. *3, 1934 2,523,290 Gardner Sept. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 500,950 Canada Mar. 23, 1954 178,573 Austria May 25, '1954 

